hi everyone, im looking into getting a 8900 but i keep getting conflicting answers to this question. i'm currently on att and i don't plan on getting a data plan with the 8900, but would that mean that i won't be able to use the wifi feature with this phone? since this phone has wifi support i figured there is no need to get a data plan. also what other features would i be limited to on this phone without a data plan? thanks for any info in advance

duane534

09-18-2009 10:45 PM

AT&T no longer allows smartphones without data plans as of earlier this month. Even if you swap SIMs, they periodically sweep and feature attach.

dankarlinski

09-18-2009 10:51 PM

Wirelessly posted (White and Nerdy)

Quote:

Originally Posted by duane534

AT&T no longer allows smartphones without data plans as of earlier this month. Even if you swap SIMs, they periodically sweep and feature attach.

True. Except for the fact that if you use wifi, att has no way of knowing that. Wifi has nothing to do with phone connection unless you are on tmobile UMA

MobileEnhancement

09-18-2009 11:40 PM

Feature attach? If a company "feature attached" on my plan id say id have to feature attach my foot in their a55

lazee

09-19-2009 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duane534
(Post 1473989)

AT&T no longer allows smartphones without data plans as of earlier this month. Even if you swap SIMs, they periodically sweep and feature attach.

wow is this true? so i wouldn't be able to purchase a 8900 off ebay and use it on att without them adding a data plan onto my contract?

barbwyr

09-19-2009 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazee
(Post 1474033)

wow is this true? so i wouldn't be able to purchase a 8900 off ebay and use it on att without them adding a data plan onto my contract?

If you have been using a smart phone on your account without a data plan till now then you can purchase a new smart phone off eBay and swap the sim card and not be assigned data because you are grandfathered in and are not subject to the new policy unless you sign a new contract, upgrade, or add a line of service.

As for whether WiFi Works without data I am not sure but if you have PayPerUse data then it should access WiFi, but I am not familiar with whether it will continue to rack up data even on WiFi, especially if it drops out of Wifi, then you will start dingin' up kbs on PayPerUse. From what I have heard, without data access you can't get Wifi to connect on AT&T, but again, I have never used it.

ezrunner

09-19-2009 06:28 AM

Wirelessly posted (overwhelmingly stressed)

Quote:

Originally Posted by dankarlinski

Wirelessly posted (White and Nerdy)

Quote:

Originally Posted by duane534

AT&T no longer allows smartphones without data plans as of earlier this month. Even if you swap SIMs, they periodically sweep and feature attach.

True. Except for the fact that if you use wifi, att has no way of knowing that. Wifi has nothing to do with phone connection unless you are on tmobile UMA

They also sweep the imei's which would tell them of the data device

cameron.personal

09-19-2009 08:13 AM

Wirelessly posted (8900 on T-Mo)

Wow, makes me glad I am with T-Mobile.

While I have data plans for both my phones in the US, we have been able to successfully connect and use WiFi/UMA in the US and New Zealand with phone plans that do not have a data plan. I gave one of my old BB's to my brother who regularly uses the WiFi/UMA to browse the net and he has no data plan..